Rose wins U.S. Open; more heartbreak for Mickelson

Justin Rose became the first Englishman to win the U.S. Open since Tony Jacklin in 1970 with a final-round, even-par 70 to thwart Phil Mickelson's quest to win the championship he covets the most.

Jun 16, 2013; Ardmore, PA, USA; Justin Rose celebrates with the championship trophy after the final round of the 113th U.S. Open golf tournament at Merion Golf Club.(Photo: John David Mercer - USA TODAY Sports)

He broke Mickelson's heart Sunday in the U.S. Open at Merion Golf Club.

Rose became the first Englishman to win the U.S. Open since Tony Jacklin in 1970 with a final-round, even-par 70 to thwart Mickelson's quest to win the championship he covets the most. Rose held on at short but feisty Merion Golf Club to finish at 1 over par, two shots better than Jason Day and Mickelson, who now has a record six silver medals in the most taxing tournament of the year.

"This one's probably the toughest for me, because at 43 and coming so close five times, it would have changed the way I look at this tournament altogether and the way I would have looked at my record," Mickelson said. "Except I just keep feeling heartbreak."

Rose survived the par-4, 511-yard final hole with a perfect drive, a long iron just over the fringe and then a chip to an inch with a 3-wood for a tap-in par. He then watched as Mickelson's last-ditch effort to force a playoff, a chip from 30 yards on the 18th, scooted by the hole. Mickelson, who took the lead into the final round for the first time in the U.S. Open, finished with a 74. Day closed with a 71. Jason Dufner (67), Ernie Els (69), Billy Horschel (74) and Hunter Mahan (75) tied for fourth.

World No. 1 Tiger Woods and No. 2 Rory McIlroy have had better weeks. Woods, who counts three U.S. Opens among his 14 majors and a four-time winner this year, couldn't get a handle on the greens and closed with a 74 to finish at 13 over, his worst finishing score in relationship to par in the U.S. Open as a pro. McIlroy, the 2011 U.S. Open champion, couldn't quite get a grip on his entire game, bent the shaft in an iron in a fit of anger after hitting two balls into the creek at 11 and shot 76 to finish at 14 over.

Rose, 33, blew a kiss to the heavens after holing out on the 18th, a nod to his father, Ken, who was so instrumental in his son's life. Rose fought back tears in the victory ceremony as he talked of his late father.

"It wasn't lost on me that today is Father's Day," said Rose, who stunned Mickelson in singles action during Europe's win in the Miracle at Medinah when he first made a big-breaking 50-footer for birdie on the 17th hole and then a 12-footer for birdie on the 18th to win the last two holes in a 1-up victory.

"My dad was the inspiration the whole day. … I just couldn't help but look up to the heavens and think that my old dad, Ken, had something to do with it.

"I was trying to keep it together, obviously, because I didn't want to be premature. Phil had two holes to play. But that was my time, the clouds had parted, it was kind of ironic. It was just a beautiful evening. And the way it worked out, I felt like I needed to do that."

Mickelson wasn't close to tears after his close call, the latest chapter in his thrilling, often tortuous ride spanning more than two decades through the U.S. Open. Mickelson, who has led the U.S. Open four times on the back nine on Sunday, lost by a shot when Payne Stewart holed a 15-footer for par on the final hole in 1999, was runner-up to Woods in 2002, to Retief Goosen in 2004, to Geoff Ogilvy in 2006 and Lucas Glover in 2009. The loss in 2006 was the most excruciating, for it was at Winged Foot that Mickelson lost made double bogey on the final hole after hitting a corporate tent with his drive and a tree with his second, to which he said "I am such an idiot."

Mickelson was serenaded with Happy Birthday from the first tee through the 18th hole and seemed destined for victory after holing a shot from 75 yards out of heavy rough on No. 10 for eagle as he retook the lead.

But a stomach-churning bogey at the 121-yard 13th hole, where he missed the green and chopped his second out of heavy rough to 20 feet but failed to make the putt for par, stalled his momentum. On the par-4 15th he selected to chip from on the green and went long, then missed a 15-footer for par. On 16 he missed from 10 feet for birdie, and on the par-3 17th he missed from 40 feet.